Twilight
by DarthAnimus
Summary: When Kid and Conan's worlds are thrown offcourse by magical influence they both need to work together in order to solve the situation they are in. But even that doesn't make it easy. maybe future HakuKuro
1. Prologue

Author's Notes: I should probably warn you readers that I often write slash/shonen-ai/yaoi. Nothing has been decided on this story as of yet, but I do have some ideas for a HakuKuro pairing. If you're absolutely against the pairing, inform me early on before I get too used to the idea. Otherwise I might make the pairing into an important plot device. This did actually happen with my other fanfic: "Midnight Clashes", even though the pairing is rather mild.

Disclaimer: I don't own Detective Conan or Magic Kaitou.

**Twilight**

**Chapter 1**

**Prologue**

"What a nice evening for a crime." Toichi did not bother to look up when he heard the sentence. He was currently crouched on an edge of a roof, keeping an eye on the museum where he would hold tonight's heist. Well, at least he was trying to keep an eye on the museum.

"You always think it's a nice night, Komori", Toichi commented to his companion. A red form moved inside his line of vision. Komori's smirk was wide and his red eyes glowed even more than usual. 'Kyuuketsuki' would have been a better name for the vampire-like phantom thief. The shoulder-length black hair shined in the moonlight when Komori turned his head to also look at the museum.

"So, what are the coppers up to this time?" Komori asked cheerfully.

"Nothing out of the ordinary..." Toichi mumbled. "But Kudo-kun is present."

"Yu-chan? Oh, I'm going to **love** this!"

Toichi finally looked straight at his friend in crime. The black carnival mask that covered Komori's face was a lot more concealing than his own monocle. But Toichi could not help thinking that the bat wing ornaments on the edges were a bit too much. Well, it did fit nicely with Komori's cape that took the form of bat wings while the man glided. Black was usually a color that had Toichi feeling slightly on the edge, but for some reason he was not as bothered by the color as usual when Komori was wearing it. That might have had something to do with the fact that the younger thief also wore a deep red jacket, a color that had everyone else on their toes around Komori. Komori was actually obsessed with that color. He even shoved it in his every-day persona. He had even gotten married in a red suit and had once mentioned that his last will only contained the request to dress him in the same color when he was buried.

Toichi smirked at his friend's enthusiasm. It was really surprising how seeing their arch nemesis had the younger thief in a complete state of glee. Komori loved the thrill of having Kudo Yusaku on the heists.

"I don't think Kudo-kun will, though", he said.

"Huh? Don't be ridiculous! He wouldn't come to the heists if he didn't enjoy the chase."

"So this **is** a heist? Not a horror night?"

"Of course this is a heist! Horror nights never have a magician dancing in white. It ruins the atmosphere."

"And a giggling maniac in dark red doesn't?"

"I **am** the horror night, so I can't ruin it. And I don't giggle!"

The two sat in silence for a while.

"And my suit isn't dark red..." Komori mumbled after a while. Toichi lifted an eyebrow at his fellow thief.

"It doesn't look pink either..."

"Aren't you the one always saying that the world isn't black and white?" Komori argued.

"Yes, but I fail to see what that has got to do with this..."

"My costume represents that concept. It's not dark nor bright red. It's just plain red. Red is the color we all bleed. That is the color I choose to wear. I've told Yu-chan this a hundred times and I'm pretty certain I've told you this at least once." Toichi did not reply.

"Fine!" Komori shouted out. "Be that way! We'll see if I'll talk to you for the rest of the night. Or the rest of the week for that matter." Toichi highly doubted his friend would stay mad at him for that long. He did not think Komori could stay silent that long, to be exact.

The silence went on for a good ten minutes.

"So...How was the meeting?" Komori asked suddenly.

"What meeting?" Toichi decided to not tease the other about backing down so quickly.

"The one with the people in black."

"Oh, that one. I refused their offer."

"Well of course you did! I meant their reaction."

"They seemed pretty unhappy."

"'Unhappy'? You have a habit to twist the truth around a bit, so I don't really know what to think about that statement."

"Then think nothing about it." Toichi turned his head away again. He heard Komori mutter something under his breath in English.

Toichi dared to look at his friend again. He was startled by the serious look on the other man's face. He almost lost his poker face when he was faced with the dimmed red eyes. Komori was not one to lose his smile. Especially if there was a heist coming up.

"Just be careful", Komori said quietly. "You aren't alone in this world. There are people who will miss you if something happens to you."

"I know that, Mike..." Toichi said with a sigh. "I really hope I've taught Kaito well enough."

"So your son is going to follow in your footsteps?" Komori asked. Toichi shrugged. "That's up to him to decide. You seem to lack a follower, though. ...Or are you going to train your son after all?" Komori shook his head.

"Satoshi really isn't anything like a phantom thief", he said. "He's more like an assassin. I bet Akena is training him to kill me even as we speak."

"I wouldn't joke about that if I were you."

"Ok, let's be serious then", Komori said. "If I really had to choose a next Akai Komori, I would choose my nephew."

"Saguru? The little Sherlock Holmes fan?"

"Why not?"

"I think he's too much like his father. He'll probably be the detective who chases after my boy."

"Nah, Kudo's kid will handle that part. Saguru would be perfect for the role of Akai Komori."

Toichi laughed.

"Ok, if you're so certain..."

"I **am** certain! Kaito and Saguru will be the next generation of master thieves."

"I say they'll be mortal enemies."

"We'll just see about that! You train Kaito in the art of magic and I'll pass on the secrets of the Akai Komori to Saguru."

"Fine then", Toichi agreed. He grabbed the edges of Komori's bowtie and straightened it out.

"But for now, let us go and try to make Kudo-kun crack."

_Nine years later:_

"You're not getting away this time Kaitou Kid!" Hakuba Saguru shouted as he bolted after the phantom thief in question. Kid only laughed.

"I would love to see how you're planning on stopping me, tanteisan!" he taunted.

Kid leaped out through an open window and found the blond detective still hot on his tail.

"You're getting faster, tanteisan!" Kid shouted over his shoulder. "You'd make a fine phantom thief with the agility you've gained."

"Don't make me laugh, Kid!" Saguru yelled. "The only reason I'm doing this is to see you behind bars. I have no interest in joining the criminals' ranks."

"Have it your way then." With that Kid opened his hang glider. "See you around, tanteisan! I hope to see you next time as well!"

"KID!!!"

_**To be continued...**_

Ending Notes: For more information about Akai Komori, check my other Magic Kaitou fanfic "Tinge of Red".


	2. The Real Prologue

**Twilight**

**Chapter 2**

**Roulette Ruby: The Real Prologue**

From red to black, from black to red, and then to black again. The ruby held in a gloved hand gleamed in the two colors depending of the angle light shone upon it. Those two colors had given the gem its name; Roulette Ruby, formerly known as Bloodstone. But there were other names the treasure was called by, names that people had by now simply forgotten, or hoped that they would have.

The stone was beautiful, delicately cut and deep in color. It was flat from one angle and oval from another. It rested on the man's hand, barely covering the palm. It was the kind of a gem a woman would do anything to get as a necklace.

Roulette Ruby had never been used as an accessory. It had too much history to be treated in such a shallow manner. But it was because of that history that the man holding the jewel felt wary right now.

It might have been a bad decision to bring the stone with him on his visit to Japan. There were many people who would want to get their hands on the stone, and most of those people were in Japan at the moment. Even though it was risky, it was also about time that the treasure was taken to the outside world, out of the place it had been hidden in for over a hundred years now. The world was going to be introduced to the Bloodstone again, and the jewel was going to be introduced to an important person.

"You're going to be meeting someone special soon", the man spoke softly while he ran a fabric-covered thumb over the gem's rough surface. "He's going to be taking care of you after me." There was a pause then, like the man was listening to the stone's reply. "Yes, he has magic. Just like me." Thin lips curled upwards into a smile. "You're going to be safe with him, Lady."

Lady. It was a yet another name given to the stone the man held in his hand. But this name was known only by few, only by those who understood its meaning. Blue eyes lifted their gaze from the gem, looking out through a tinted window. They were approaching their destination, it was about time it tucked the stone away.

In a few minutes the treasure was safe in a suitcase, away from curious eyes. No one knew he was delivering the stone with him, there were no guards to draw that kind of attention. And even if someone threatened to take his treasure they would not get far. A faint green glow surrounded the hand clutching onto the handle of the suitcase. Yes, the best protection he could get for the gem was himself.

"I think we are both going to like it in Japan..." the man spoke as he made his way toward the airport's terminal. "Yes...This is going to be a wonderful trip, Lady Pandora."

_**To be continued...**_


	3. Beyond Death

**Twilight**

**Chapter 3**

**Beyond Death**

He had always thought that he was somewhat used to death. He was, after all, Kudo Shinichi, the famous teenage detective who had solved most of Tokyo's murders for three years now. Even though he was known by the name Edogawa Conan for now he was still that same person. He simply happened to look ten years younger.

Yet, as Shinichi watched the dead body before him, he felt a sense of despair he had not experienced since the came with the elder Miyano sibling. The woman had died right before his eyes and now he was faced with a situation that held frightening similarity to that one.

Except that this victim was a lot younger. Awfully young, actually. She was too young to die, that was for certain. The girl lying lifelessly on the ground could not be any older than what he appeared now and every now and then, as Shinichi's eyes raked over the form again, he saw Ayumi. What if this girl had been Ayumi? If the boy was feeling so horrible now, how would he feel if it one day were someone he knew? He did not want to think about that.

"Not every life can be saved…" a cool voice spoke suddenly. Shinichi's head snapped up to look at a man. Or, the person at least looked like a man, even if he had strange, narrow, reptilian-like eyes and ashen grey skin. He was also awfully thin and had long, obsidian hair. There was a strange air about the man, would have been even without the completely black and concealing clothing.

"Who are you?" Shinichi questioned, already figuring out how fast he could shoot the man with a dart if he turned out to be a threat. A sharp-nailed hand was lifted in a disarming gesture, however, before the boy had much of a chance to consider knocking the person out.

"I assure you that I mean no harm", the man spoke in a calming manner. "I am merely here to collect."

"Collect what?" Shinichi questioned right before the man moved his hand over the dead girl's form. A thin, greyish mist rose from the body, right into the strange, eye-shaped tattoo the man had in the middle of his palm.

Shinichi was not sure what he should think about what he just saw. It was beyond the normal strangeness of the things he saw but it was because of that fact that he simply wished to ignore it. He did not have to react yet, though, when the man continued: "What I'm about to tell you is unbelievable, insane at best." Yellow eyes met with Shinichi's own blue ones. "My name is Lamares. I collect souls of those who have passed away. I think the word you use for someone like me is _shinigami_."

Shinigami, angels of death, were nothing more than story beings. Shinichi opened his mouth to tell this nut job just that when Lamares' eyes flashed in a bright glow that left the boy staring with his mouth agape. Lamares only smiled coldly as he leaned against a wall.

"You don't believe me. That is only to be expected. There are policemen coming around the corner in a few moments. They won't be able to see me, just watch." As soon as the man had said this there was a yell and in a few more moments the small alley was filled with police and Shinichi was swept away into Ran's arms.

"Gods, Conan, you had me so worried! Don't ever disappear like that again!" the girl exclaimed in a worried tone as she clutched Shinichi against her even tighter. For once Shinichi was not focused on the feeling of having the girl's arms around himself. He was staring at Lamares who had just walked through two police officers and was smiling at him smugly.

"You were destined to die, yet you survived", Lamares spoke, his face turning serious once more. "You are dead, yet you are alive. This places you in the same realm with be, between life and death. I don't know why it took you so long to see me, since I've been following you ever since your encounter with the Apotoxin. I was to collect your soul so I can't leave your side before you either die or regain your life."

'Regain your life.' Shinichi was about to question about it when he realized what the man meant. He had taken on a different name after he was shrunk, so he was not really Kudo Shinichi anymore. And because of that there was no Kudo Shinichi at all. Shinichi sighed as he gave Lamares another look. He would believe the man, there really was no other explanation for what he had seen him do. As soon as he had decided this Lamares smiled, a clear sign that he knew exactly what Shinichi was thinking. A yet another revelation in favor of Lamares' story.

Ran was talking in a normal tone of voice now as she turned away from the alley and started carrying Shinichi away from the crime scene. It was frustrating, he had not been able to catch the murderer and Ran probably would not let him run off again to investigate. The criminal had been working with a pattern and Shinichi had figured it out too late to save the girl that now lay in the alley. Or was the girl in Lamares' tattoo now? Shinichi decided that he was better off not thinking about that too deeply.

And as for the shinigami in question, when Shinichi looked back over Ran's shoulder there was no sign of the dark-clad man.

&&&&&&&

"Are you absolutely sure about this?" a woman's voice spoke sceptically over the phone. The man holding the cell phone only smiled to himself before replying: "Everything is going to be fine, Amelia. I know what I'm doing. And besides." The man eyed the glass case before him. "Lady Pandora wants to play a bit." The red ruby in question sat innocently inside the case, with the label

'Roulette Ruby' on the outside.

"I sure hope everything goes as you planned then, Michael", Amelia spoke with a sigh of resignation. "That ruby is a family heirloom. If something happens to it you're going to be taking the blame."

"And we are the last of our line", Michael spoke sternly. "Satoshi may have my name but he has no respect for the family legacy. We are the last ones that are directly connected to the stone, my dear older sister."

"Don't use that sweet tone with me", Amelia said in a scolding manner. She might have said more but Michael did not give her a chance to and said: "I have some PR to take care of now. Talk to you later." He heard his sister reply with a "you'd better" before he closed the phone and tucked it inside his pocket. Then he walked across the empty display room towards the doors that would lead to the swarm of comment-hungry reporters. It was time to hand out his invitations. Or rather, the single invitation.

&&&&&&&

Kaito often got information about new gems coming into exhibits from watching television. But the moment the brunet saw the man in charge of the Roulette Ruby display and the owner of the jewel in question, Dawlish Michael, he knew something was off.

Dawlish was a regular-looking person, all in all. He was a rather young man, with fudge-colored hair that had golden stripes running through it. He also had a small beard of the same color and laughing blue eyes. There was an air of mischief about the man but Kaito had met his fair share of strange foreigners and did not think much of the man's childish smile and habit of waving gleefully at the cameras. It was when he heard Dawlish speak that Kaito started think there was something wrong with the man's state of sanity.

"I would like to direct my next words to the famous thief Kaitou Kid. I hope you are watching this because I am issuing a challenge." The smile on Dawlish's face widened as he spoke. "Try to steal the Roulette Ruby. I dare you. Attempt to take the jewel from its pedestal. I'll be looking forward to seeing you try." And with that the man walked out of the screen, leaving behind a group of confused reporters and a very dumbfounded magician.

"Dawlish Michael…" Kaito mumbled as he leaned back in his seat. "Just what kind of a man are you to place your family heirloom as a bait to lure the Kid out?" The boy ran a hand through his dishevelled hair. "And what kind of a heirloom is it? It's not every day that the world is introduced to a jewel that hasn't seen daylight in decades."

As Kaito voiced his thoughts he also contemplated any possible sources for any more information about the Roulette Ruby. He doubted there was much information available, even if he was to surf the web for it. But little information was better than no information at all so he would just have to go for it.

&&&&&&&

It was later that same evening when Shinichi saw Lamares again. He was standing on a stool in front of the bathroom mirror over a sink, brushing his teeth, when he suddenly saw a sickly pale face appear right behind his reflection self. He gasped, breathing in a good deal of toothpaste. After coughing into the sink for about a minute he finally managed to regain his composure and turned around to glare at the apparition, standing right behind him in the small bathroom.

"What are you doing here?" the shrunken detective snapped, quite rudely. Lamares did not seem to be fazed by this as he merely replied: "Whenever I'm not collecting souls I am to stay in your presence and keep an eye on any possible development of new abilities." At Shinichi's narrow-eyed look the shinigami sighed before saying: "People who manage to outsmart death often gain strange, otherworldly abilities as a result of them becoming something other than normal people. My job is to keep watch for any abilities you might receive and then help you master them to the best of my ability. The fact that you have become able to see me may indicate you gaining another skills in the near future."

"Right", Shinichi muttered with a sigh before turning back to the mirror. This was all just too confusing and Lamares certainly was not helping manners any with his complicated explanations, even if they were easy enough to follow.

"Look, it's late and I'm tired. Can't you just go…somewhere?" the detective questioned only to receive a strange smile from the reflection of the shinigami, before the creature spoke: "I have actually spent quite the few nights meditating as you have slept. You simply haven't seen me before."

That revelation creeped Shinichi out somewhat but he merely grunted at the shinigami before stuffing his toothbrush back in his mouth again. He decided that when the situation got this weird, the best course of action to take would be to cling to something familiar until he was ready to deal with the situation. And at that moment, brushing his teeth seemed like a fine idea.

_**To be continued…**_


	4. Sundown

**Twilight**

**Chapter 4**

**Sundown**

It was with rather large reluctance that Kaito decided to give up on his search. Honestly, with the vastness of the internet one would think it would be easy to find information on a famous man and an even more famous jewel. But then again, Dawlish Michael was a corporation head, not a film star and the Roulette Ruby had not been outside the Dawlish family vault in decades. According to the small bits of information Kaito had been able to gather the gem had not been on a museum display once, so of course there would not be much knowledge to gather. There was still one option Kaito had not tried, though. He could still contact Jii and see if the old man had some useful contacts.

A soft sigh escaped from Kaito as he placed the small set of printouts on the desk, right next to the computer screen. He still had not managed to figure out exactly what it was about the English man that set him on the edge. It was like Kaito knew the man from somewhere but could not remember when he had met the foreigner. Whenever it had been, it had been a long time ago. Maybe he had seen the man during one of his father's magic shows. Dawlish certainly gave the impression of a man who enjoyed cultural activities, such as magic shows and opera.

Kaito was not really getting anywhere, this was quite clear to the young man. He was no detective, after all, and there was no way he could remember a face he might not possibly have even seen before. Perhaps Dawlish just reminded Kaito of another person and that was why he could not recognize him from appearance alone. Whatever the case might have been, Kaito did not think it was such a good idea to send Dawlish a notice, at least not yet.

&&&&&&&

The sky was grey with a thin layer of clouds that could have been blown away even by the weakest of winds. But the air stood still, allowing the clouds block the sun. It was drizzling, the continuous rain wetting everyone who went outside without an umbrella under the impression that such small rain could not get them too wet.

There was at least one person who had dressed accordingly to the weather. A long, dark brown raincoat landed around a frame that had broad shoulders but was otherwise slim. Fudge-colored hair landed over blue eyes and thin lips were spread into a gentle smile despite the man's gloomy surroundings. The graveyard spreading around the man was well-kept but the absence of daylight gave it a slightly unwelcoming feeling. The man did not seem to notice, however, as He conversed with the tomb that lied in front of him like it was an actual person.

"It's been a while, old friend", the man spoke in clear Japanese despite his foreign appearance. "I'm planning on seeing what the new generation of master thieves is made of." The small smile turned into a confident grin. "I'm giving them the ultimate bait. We'll see how many decides to show up." The man laid a hand on top of the gravestone. The hand was covered by a black leather glove, since the rainy weather was making the day cold even though it was the beginning of summer. "I wonder if he'll live up to the challenge?" The hand slipped away from the stone. "Your son, I mean."

"Michael!" A feminine voice rang in the air suddenly, cutting any further words from the fudge-haired man off. Michael turned his head around to look at the Japanese woman who was standing a bit over ten feet behind him. She was wearing a long, dark green coat and her straight, raven black hair fell down all the way to the middle of her back. She was looking at Michael with a disapproving expression as she lectured: "You're going to be late for your meeting! Me and the driver are not going to wait for you much longer!"

"I'll be right there, darling!" Michael shouted back in a laughing voice before turning briefly back to the gravestone and speaking: "That's Akena, my wife, if you don't remember her anymore." He grinned widely once more as he leaned closer and whispered in a conspirational manner: "If it weren't for her I would have taken an early retirement just because I'm that lazy. I think she secretly wants to take over my position in the company." He winked at the inanimate object before him. "Just don't tell anyone, okay pal?"

"Michael!" the annoyed voice of Akena bellowed in an impatient manner and Michael straightened himself. He turned away from the tombstone but still called over his back: "I'll come you again soon, Toichi. That's a promise." After that the man walked away, joining his wife as they continued together to the dark limo waiting for them. A thought briefly passed as Michael climbed inside the vehicle. He really wished he had been able to find the time to pick up some flowers before his visit. Toichi would have probably liked the classical while lilies.

&&&&&&&

"Dawlish Michael you say?" Jii questioned as he eyed Kaito from across the table. The two were currently in the elderly man's house, drinking oolong tea. The older man had reheated it after Kaito's surprising appearance but it could easily be forgiven, since the man had been cleaning before Kaito had decided to drop by.

"Do you know him?" Kaito questioned as he took another gulp from his tea. Jii's voice had held some recognition in it, so the man had at least heard the name before and knew who Kaito was talking about.

"Of course I know him", Jii responded. "And I'm surprised you don't." Kaito was planning on asking the man about the last comment before Jii continued: "He was a friend of your father's, bochama, a rather close friend I might add."

"Oh?" Kaito questioned briefly. "How so?"

"Michael was the first one to find out about master Toichi's secret identity", Jii explained. "He was around even before me." A fond smile came to the man's face, a clear sign that he was remembering some fond memories. "They were but boys back then, impatient and rash. They seemed to care more about having fun and than doing a good job. But I guess it all evened out, since they were not ones to fail and they also had a lot of fun." Jii chuckled softly at that point. "The two of them pulled quite the few heists together."

"But I thought Michael is a corporation chief", Kaito commented, actually surprised by Jii's revelation. "You're saying he's a phantom thief now?" The brunet gave the man a nervous smile. "Are you sure you're not getting your Michael's mixed up?"

"I'm positive", Jii answered sternly. "He may not show any signs of it now but he was a formidably skilled thief quite some years ago. He was known by the name _Nosferatu_ but he also gained a Japanese nick name: Akai Komori."

"How come I've never heard of him?" Kaito muttered with a frown. "If he really did work with Kid in the past then why has he not been brought up?"

"I think the explanation to that is quite simple", Jii spoke. "You see, Akai Komori left a notice of retirement about five years ago. Nothing has been heard from him since."

"A notice of retirement?" Kaito questioned. "Seriously? Why would he do that? He looks like he's still in decent shape."

"He may still be feeling as strong as then physically but emotionally he is a different man", Jii explained, the expression on his face turning somewhat melancholic. "I told you young Michael and your father were close friends. Master Toichi's death must have had an impact on him. He retired in your father's memory." That sentence had Kaito blinking is surprise before he questioned: "What makes you think it was in dad's memory?"

Jii studied Kaito for a short moment before replying deadpan: "He retired in the same age your father was when he was murdered."

&&&&&&&

Shinichi turned over for the fifteenth time that night, and still was not comfortable enough to sleep. It might have had something to do with the stressful day he had just gone through or then the pair of eyes watching him intently from the darkness of the room. It was actually very little consolation that Lamares had been watching his sleep for months now, it made him think even more of the option that the shinigami could find something else to do with his time. Not to mention it was different to feel eyes on his back and to actually know that someone was watching.

Once again Shinichi turned around, this time so that he was facing Lamares' gleaming eyes. Not bothering to hide his irritation from his voice the shrunken detective grunted: "Do you have to stare at me all the time? I'm pretty sure I'm not going to drop dead while I'm lying in bed." He allowed a sarcastic smirk tug on the edges of his lips. "I promise I'll scream in agony if the poison starts acting up all of a sudden." Only a snort replied him from the darkness, the shinigami clearly not amused by Shinichi's sudden sense of morbid humour. Honestly Shinichi was certain that even Ai would have been proud of him at the moment.

"I suppose there really isn't any need for my constant presence", Lamares conceded suddenly, his voice thoughtful. "It's not like I won't know when your time comes…" It was completely silent in the room after those words and Shinichi wondered for a long while if the shinigami had truly left or if he was still sitting on the desk. Finally the silence managed to lull the detective into a deep and well-deserved sleep.

&&&&&&&

Kaito was feeling distinctly anxious when he was getting ready for bed. Jii had promised to see if he could arrange a chance for Kaito to meet Akai Komori privately. Of course the prospect of learning more about his father's past had Kaito excited but he was also nervous. This Michael might know his father a lot better than he did and that could prove out to be slightly depressing.

The only other people Kaito had come across so far who had been aware of his father's double identity were Jii and Snake, and Kaito had not been able to get much information out of those two. Snake was not the ideal person to talk with and Jii simply refused to speak, so Kaito had very little to go by when it came to keeping the Kaitou Kid legacy alive. There was also a very high possibility of Kaito's mom knowing more than she led on about Toichi's so-called night job. But she had never approached the subject with Kaito and Kaito was not willing to bring it up either. It would not be the most pleasant of dinner conversations, a confession of following in his father's footsteps on a path that had gotten him killed in the end. Of course Kaito was curious about his mother's thoughts and worried about her feelings on the matter but he did not really **want** to know what his mom exactly thought.

But now was not the time to worry about a meeting that might never take place. Kaito would need to sleep, or otherwise he would make his mother worry needlessly about him. But that would be easier said than done, since Kaito had always found it most difficult to sleep when something was about to happen. It was after the upcoming event had reached its conclusion that Kaito finally managed to sleep. It was actually after heists when Kaito slept the best. It was probably the thorough exhaustion that put Kaito's lights out so effectively. Every now and then Kaito wondered how ever he was going to get a decent night's sleep when he was finished with his mission. It was because Kaito liked to stay positive that the brunet kept firm belief in him succeeding one night. It kept him from going insane from desperation.

&&&&&&&

It was a late night when Michael finally got back home from his business meeting. The man immediately went to the privacy and safety of his own bedroom. He was just about to crawl in between the sheets when the phone on his bedside table started to ring.

There were two phones in the Dawlish household that were considered as Michael's private phones. They were both connected to the same line and one of them was behind his locked home office door. The second one was the one in his personal bedroom, the one that was ringing now. Only a selected few people knew the number to the line in question, most of them family members and the rest old and good friends. Never one to reject a contact from a friend Michael picked up the receiver and brought it to his ear.

"Michael here", the man spoke and was startled to hear a very familiar voice that he had not heard in a long while: "I see you still have little manners, Michael my boy. Tell me, do you still have your old suit in the back of your closet?"

"That depends, Jii-ojiisan", Michael replied flippantly. "What would I need it for?"

"You will need it for an informal meeting with a new yet old friend."

"Sounds like fun", Michael commented with a grin. "Sure thing, Jii-ojiisan. I'm all for it."

_**To be continued…**_

Ending Notes: I'm not really all that happy with this chapter, since its in so many bits and pieces. It had very little happening in it as well, for which I feel like apologising. Hopefully I'll be able to get the next chapter work better.


	5. Severing a Bond

**Twilight**

**Chapter 5**

**Severing a Bond**

It was exactly ten o'clock in the evening when Kaito landed on top of the roof of the museum. He knew that the Roulette Ruby display was a few floors below his current spot but the jewel was not the reason he had arrived here. The real reason was the man sitting down a few feet away from him, talking to his cell phone. Black, shoulder-lenght hair billowed in the wind while the man spoke in a cheerful tone that would have had even Kaito cringing if he had not been in uniform at the moment.

"No worries, dear. I will be staying out late as well", Akai Komori spoke in Dawlish Michael's voice with a wide, sharp-toothed grin on his face. "I love you too. Bye." There was a beep when the man turned the phone off. Then the red eyes finally turned their gaze to Kaito as the man smiled apologetically. "My wife. He hate each other with a passion but we never discuss it." Dawlish flashed a brilliant grin. "Jii-ojiisan said that you wished to talk with me."

"Why did you challenge me into a contest so openly?" Kaito questioned immediately and got a chuckle from the older man, followed by a cheerful comment of: "Straight to the point. You are just like your father in that aspect, Kaito-kun."

Eyes widening Kaito gasped out: "How did you-?"

"Your father always spoke of the possibility of you carrying on his legacy", Dawlish replied. "I doubt he really had the time to train you, though, so I guess the real clue was your face."

"My...face?" Kaito repeated in a questioning tone, certain that he had never met this man before and that Dawlish could not have had a chance to memorize his face.

"I've looked through that monocle countless times, Kaito-kun", Dawlish said in a sorrowful tone of voice. "You have your father's eyes." Some of Dawlish's long hair was thrown into his face by the strong wind and the man pushed the locks behind his ear before admitting softly: "I guess I just wanted to see if there might have been a chance for Toichi to have survived after all." There was a sad smile on the man's face and he released a small sigh. "I knew it to be pointless to hope for but sometimes hope is all we have."

Kaito had no idea what he should have said to something like that but fortunately he was spared from answering by the sound of Dawlish's cell phone starting to ring. The man shrugged his shoulders before bringing the phone to his ear and answering the call: "Michael."

Not wanting to listen in on a possibly private conversation Kaito turned his attention to the city that spread out around the museum, listening to the steady rumbling caused by the cars roaring past the large building. Kaito was not sure how long he simply stood there in a daze but he nearly jumped out of his skin when a hand fell on his shoulder.

Whirling around quickly Kaito came face to face with Dawlish, who was offering him another apologetic smile before speaking out: "That was my nephew telling me he was coming for a visit." The small smile turned into an amused grin. "I think you have met him. His name is Saguru."

"Saguru?" Kaito repeated in a startled manner, instantly seeing the contrast between the man standing in front of him and the memory of a certain detective that had popped into his head. "You're related to Hakuba Saguru?"

"Yes", Dawlish replied with his voice full of sincere fondness that had been missing completely when the man had talked about his wife earlier. "He seems to be unable to decide if he likes it better in England or Japan because he has been too busy trying not to get attached to either."

Kaito did not pay any thought to Dawlish's words and asked a question that had instantly appeared when the man in front of him had mentioned a relation to Hakuba: "Does he know about this other side to you?"

"Heavens no!" Dawlish exclaimed before laughing brightly. "I thought you knew him. Saguru would never be calling me if he ever found out about my 'other side', as you put it." The man turned serious. "He's become too much like his father in that aspect." There was suddenly a grin on Dawlish's face again and Kaito was struck with a feeling of looking into a mirror when he realized it to be a safety mecanism of sorts to the man to smile. "But it's not like anyone really discusses these matters with their family, is it?"

"I guess not", Kaito agreed as he thought about his mother and how the woman surely knew of his night escapades but simply chose not to say anything about them. He met the understanding crimson gaze of the older phantom thief and only then realized how much he truly could learn from this man. The teen decided that it might actually be a lot of fun to play Dawlish's game. He gave the man an honest smile before speaking out: "I accept your challenge, Dawlish-san."

&

There was no sign of Lamares when Shinichi woke up in the morning, something the boy could not say he felt sorry about. He would prefer never having to deal with the shinigami again but he knew better than well that the current peace was only temporary. It was very likely that Lamares had only gone off to hunt a yet another parting soul. Shinichi briefly wondered if all the murders that had been happening around him ever since he had shrunk were caused by the presence of the messenger of death who had chosen to follow him around wherever he went.

Shinichi was still rubbing the sleep from his eyes when he strolled to the kitchen to see if anyone was awake, still dressed in his pajamas. He caught sight of Ran sitting at the kitchen table with a thick novel open in front of her. It was rare to see the girl doing something as slow-paced as reading and Shinichi simply stood in the kitchen doorway for a while, staring at the girl who seemed to be illuminated by the soft sunlight coming in from the window behind her.

Suddenly Ran lifted her head and her gaze met with Shinichi's own. The girl smiled brightly before greeting softly: "Morning, Conan. Did you sleep well?"

Not for the first time Shinichi found himself marvelling at Ran's subtle beauty and only managed to nod in response.

&

The events of the previous night did not leave Kaito's mind even as the brunet tried to busy himself with various activities from feeding his pigeons to tweaking his card gun. He could not stop thinking about the discussion with Dawlish. The man had opened Kaito's eyes to things that the teen had not even thought about before.

Hakuba was not any older than he was. Kaito had not thought much about that and had not even realized that simple fact even though the blond had gone to school with him during the time he had lived in Japan. The detective acted so mature that Kaito always seemed to forget that he was a teenager and not another one of the taskforce, at least not officially.

Truth be told, Kaito was actually rather ashamed of the way he had taken his opposition for granted. Hakuba was no adult and he had a caring family. Up until then the only opponent Kaito had thought about in that manner was Nakamori-keibu, and that was only because he _knew_ the man. And now Kaito felt like he had started to know Hakuba, even if only by a little.

In addition to having these thoughts Kaito wondered why he never talked to his mother about Kid. He was certain that his mother knew just who was wearing the suit at night. He could not help but think about how his mother might have felt about it all. Still, no matter how much he wished to know, he would not dare to ask. Kaito did not want to face his mother if the woman disapproved of his actions and even more than that he did not want to see his mother actually agreeing with him on following in his father's footsteps.

&

Everything was just about ready for the big night, Michael mused as he sat in the small office that was his private study in his mansion-sized villa right in the outskirts of Ekoda. It was a nice area to live in and rather close-by to the lovely abode of his brother-in-law and nephew. Speaking of nephews, right at that moment the young man in question burst in through the door and stood in a menacing manner in the middle of his study. Saguru had arrived later than Michael had expected, probably because the boy had been busy with something having to do with moving to Japan again.

The seventeen-year-old often acted more mature than Michael, even though the man was two times the teen's age. He had the same curly hair both Michael and his sister had, and it was the same pure golden color as that specific sister's. The bright blue eyes were currently glaring at Michael in a manner that told the older man that his dear nephew was not happy with him. Of course, after talking with the boy's mother on the phone the previous day, he had known that it was only a matter of time before the teen came to confront him.

Deciding that it would not be wise to point out that he had been expecting for the boy to arrive the whole day, Michael flashed Saguru a bright smile that told the boy how happy he was to see the him, even when he knew he was in trouble.

"Saguru", Michael greeted the blond pleasantly. "How nice to see you. How about you take a seat?" The man was thoroughly surprised when the teen actually did as he asked and sat down into the chair positioned opposite to Michael's own.

"Hello, uncle", Saguru greeted the man slowly, the completely toneless voice a clear sign of displeasure and controlled anger. Michael dreaded the argument that was about to come but kept up his cheerful façade as he spoke: "How was your trip? I bet your father was happy to see you again."

"It was fine enough", Saguru grumbled, not even bothering to attach any fake politeness into his tone. Twin pairs of blue eyes studied each other over the table and Michael fought back a cringe at the tense atmosphere, reducing it into nothing more than a small twitch in the corner of his mouth.

"I saw something very interesting in one of the online papers I read", Saguru started suddenly, only his cold tone cluing Michael to the fact that this was not some pleasant small talk. "It was such an incredible story that I had to buy the paper as soon as I arrived here." At that the teen pulled out a newspaper and folded it open so that Michael could see the front page. "See here? _'Dawlish heir proposes family heirloom to the thieving world as the ultimate challenge.'_ I mean, who could possibly think that you would be stupid enough to do something like that?" The thick sarcasm in Saguru's voice was enough to tell Michael that if he looked up he would be meeting a very icy glare indeed as Saguru finished:"It was such an amusing article that I had to bring it to you as well."

There really was not much, if anything that Michael could say in his defence so he stayed silent while lifting his eyes to Saguru's face. The teen did not look terribly angry but the fiery fury was very much present in his tone as he spoke venomously: "You aren't laughing, uncle. Why is that? I thought you would find it a funny joke."

A sigh escaped from between Michael's lips as the man realized that he was being cowardly; that he should just get this thing over with. He opened his mouth and started: "Saguru…"

The man was cut off by the younger male, who displayed uncharacteristic rudeness as he spoke: "No…of course you wouldn't be laughing. That's because it's true, am I right?" Saguru allowed the paper to drop down on top of Michael's desk. "What are you playing, uncle?"

"I'm not playing anything Saguru", Michael insisted. "Just listen to-"

"I knew it was no joke when I read the article", Saguru continued, his tone alone telling Michael that he would have problems with getting Saguru to listen to him. "But I will warn you, uncle: if Akai Komori comes back from retirement I will not stand idle. Even if you are the one behind the mask."

At those words Michael felt his blood run cold. He gaped at the boy in front of him as he gasped out: "Saguru! You knew? For how long?"

"I've known for over a year already", Saguru replied in a nonchalant manner, not about to change the subject. "But that doesn't really matter. What matters is that you are the infamous master thief Nosferatu. And that isn't the only thing I've found out." The nonchalance turned back into anger. "You wanted to have me follow in your footsteps. You had already made grand plans where I was the one in the costume and you would be standing in the sidelines, like a proud mentor. Isn't that right?"

And there it was, the bottom of this raging ocean that was Saguru's anger. It had been unexpected for Saguru to get so angry about the ruby, but this was a different thing entirely. Still, even though Michael knew that his nephew would see this as a betrayal, he had abandoned those thoughts a long time ago. He would just have to tell Saguru that and then he could start working on making it up to the teen.

Michael knew very well how Saguru had come across all this knowledge, he had left his old journal with his sister while those plans had still been valid, meaning for the book to be passed onto Saguru in time. But that journal did not contain the information that Michael had changed his mind, that he had seen that Saguru would never grow up to be like him.

"Saguru, you're being unreasonable", Michael started and immediately knew it was the wrong choice of words. Saguru's face finally broke into an angered snarl as the teen raised his voice for the first time in what seemed like years to Michael: "Did you or did you not plan that? I'm warning you, Michael. You'd better give me a truthful answer before I do something we will both regret."

"Saguru…" Michael tried to plead with the boy but was cut off by the boy snapping: "Yes or no?"

When Saguru's voice rose to the enraged yell, Michael noticed the pot plant on his desk quiver, like it was afraid. The man brought his hand to the pot and touched a few fingers into the moist soil. He had watered the plant less than an hour ago. He released a heavy sigh and finally mumbled weakly: "…Yes."

A strange noise escaped from between Saguru's lips that could have been anything from a snort to a sob. Still, Saguru's lips twisted into a smile that was anything but friendly as he spoke: "And, since I am clearly my father's son I crashed all the plans you had for me. It must have been a terrible realization to you, that I would never be what you wanted." Saguru's hands started to twitch then, like he was fighting the urge to clench them into fists. "I'm such a disappointment, aren't I? And because of that, you decided to wear the mask again and get reacquainted with your old friends."

Michael shook his head in denial and attempted to speak in his defence: "Saguru, that's not what I had in mind at all."

"All right, let's say I believe that", Saguru spoke, his voice lowering into the usual controlled tones. "What difference does it make? You kept things from me, uncle. You kept from me things that had everything to do with me." The blond boy shook his head. "You have no idea what it felt like to find about all that from some book you left lying around just because you were too much of a coward to tell me yourself."

"I'm sorry, Saguru", Michael pleaded weakly and Saguru's blue eyes flashed briefly before the teen nodded in aknowledgment and spoke: "I know you are. Of course you are sorry when everything goes wrong." There was a sharp crack-like sound and Michael turned his gaze to see that the pot he was keeping his hand on now had a long crack on the side. He turned his gaze back to Saguru, who was also staring at the pot while taking deep breaths through his nose.

"Maybe we should go downstars to talk", Michael offered but Saguru shook his head and insisted: "We have nothing left to talk about, uncle. You've said your peice and I'm almost finished with mine." Saguru glowered at Michael. "I have only one thing left to say and that is: he isn't the same Kid you messed around with all those years ago." The teen took a deep breath, managing to grasp more of a hold of his usual control once more before he finished: "He isn't your Kid, he's mine." And with that the turned to leave.

"Saguru, please…" Michael uttered, reaching out with his hand. If he could just get Saguru to stay a while longer then maybe he could come up with a satisfying apology, even though he had no idea what he could still say.

Stepping away from his hand Saguru spoke in a stern tone of voice: "I don't want to listen to anything you might still have to say." The boy shook his head. "The only thing continuing this talk would accomplish is make me angry again. Now I just want to think." With that said the boy turned around and walked out of the study, his footsteps fading away soon.

Michael was left staring after his nephew, feeling horrible regret boiling in his stomach as the distinct taste of bile rose in his throat. Many years ago he had sworn to himself to protect Saguru. Together with the boy's mother they had started to form a shield of lies and half-truths around him, all for the reason of guarding him from their family's dark history. And now it seemed that all it had done was alienate the boy from them both.

Somehow, Michael had a horrible feeling that this would all end badly. And that feeling kept his hand outstretched towards the spot where Saguru had stood for many long moments before the man recovered enough to regain his senses.

_**To be continued…**_

Ending Notes: Sorry about taking ages to update. It's just that I didn't want to write anything until I knew for sure how this story was going to shape out. And it has changed drastically from my original idea. It's going to be way darker than what I had originally planned and I will probably be changing the genre and changing the rating as well. Also, the KaitoxSaguru pairing is going to happen, though I am not sure about its depth quite yet. There is a very high chance that it is going to be staying platonic, nearing on simply strong friendship instead of actual romance.

So, the storyline in my head is pretty messed up so I will be looking forward to any comments you readers might give to me. So far I know that there will be a warning for mentions of torture later on in the fic.


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